Sign letter



To all ,wbomm't may concern.- Be t known thatIyDoNALn Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

DONALD S. -MoKAY,-OE CHIGAGO,.ILLINOIS,..ASS'IGNOR..TO .HIMS 'EL F AND DALLAS R.

. MCKAY, or-,cH1c eo,. I LINoIs,- COPARTNERS.

sren rn'r'rnn.

Application filed May 2-,

S." 'MCKAY, a citizen of the United States,and -a=residentofChicago, county of Gook,"-and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSign' Letters; and I do -hereby declare"that the following is a'ffull, clear," and exact description thereof,

referencebeing'had to the accompanying drawings, .and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part -of1this specification. 1

This invention'relates to a novel. and im proved sign letter and. consists'of-the matters hereinafter descr bedand: more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

The object of the invention is to produce a sign letter or sign character moreespecially' adapted for use in illuminated signs, which will present a striking and brilliant appearance; which is cheap and economical to make; and which by reason of its construction will produce a maximum of brilliancy for a given amount of illumination.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully as I proceed with my specification.

Referring now to the drawings Figure 1 is a view representing a front elevation of a sign letter made in accordance with my invention. I

Figure 2 is a view representing on an enlarged scale, a transverse section through the letter in a plane indicated in the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view representing a rear elevation of the frame for holding the strings of translucent glass beads which comprise the translucent body of the letter.

Figure 4 is a view representing on an enlarged scale a front view of one of the glass beads. I

Referring now to that embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings :-1() indicates a sign plate which has cut in it, in the manner of a stencil, an opening 11 in the form of the letter, character, design, or other symbol which is to be depicted. The sign plate 10 may be a separate plate for each letter or character, or it may be of greater extent and be adapted to embrace more than one character, as for example, in constructions where it constitutes the front wall or face of a sign body. In the case ill 1923. Serial No. 836,062.

lustrated, thesymbol is theletter N.-. If" desired, and as illustrated, the opening 11 is outlined by a molding 1 2 which may be formed integral with the plate 10, as shown.

' 13 indicates an open frame which is located back of-the plate 10 andis secured in said position in any. convenient or well known manner. The open face of said frame is closed by a structurecomprising a plurality of rows or strings 14 of glass beads 151* Each bead in the specificform illustrated, is a-spheroidalbod-y provided with a plurality of facets 16,-which are adapted when the-beads are arranged in themanner descr-ibednto catch and' reflect as well as to scatter and diffuse the-rays ofnlighttransmitted through them. i

In the embodiment of the invention .illustrated in the drawings, the beads 15 are strung on rods or wires 17, each bead having a diametric aperture 18 to receive the rod. The rods themselves are mounted on vertical flanges 19, 19 fixed to or made integral with the open frame 13. As shown, the rod has a head 20 at one end and is turned over to form a hook 21 at its opposite end to retain it in suitable apertures in said flanges. The rods are so located with reference to the plane of the open frame 13 that the front faces of the beads will be tangential to the plane of said frame and will lie close to the edge of the stencil opening 11 defining the letter or character.

In construction with the beads on rods, the

rods and beads are preferably so arranged,

ture described is applied thereto, said beaded structure will entirely cover and close the stencil opening 11 defining the letter or character to be depicted. As shown, said frame opening is greater in all directions than the reatest width in all directions between the outside limits of the letteror character. Manifestly, however, it is merely essential that the area of the open frame 13 be co-eXtensive with and conform to the stencil opening 11 depicting the letteror 1:

character, since all'that is required is that the beaded structure entirely close and back the said stencil opening.

The improved letter, by reason of the scintillating effect produced by its innumerable facets on its front and rear faces, is not only of value as an ordinary sign letter but it lends itself to the production of brilliant and striking effects with flashers, changing color devices and other known lighting contrivances, as the production of the appearance of running water, fire flames and the like, on the face of the sign.

In describing the structure comprising the closely spaced, nested, parallel rows of heads, I have referred by way of illustration to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, wherein the beaded structure is formed of separate beads and rods supporting said beads, but it is to be understood that the invention is in no Way to be limited to this specific construction or to other details of mechanical construction and arrangement except as may be pointed out in the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A sign letter or character comprising a sign plate containing a stencil opening in the form of the letter or character to be depicted, a glass structure comprising a plurality of closely spaced strings of spheroidal heads, the beads in one row being'staggered in reference to the beads in the adjacent rows so that the beads in adjacent rows are nested together, the beads having diametrically transverse apertures therein, rods engaged in said apertures for supporting the beads, there being a rod for each row of beads, and a supplemental frame for supporting said rods in a plane back of the said stencil opening, with the glass structure comprised of said beads covering the said stencil opening.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I afliX my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses, this 27th day of April, A. D. 1923.

DONALD S. MoKAY.

WVitnesses D. R. MoKAY. T. H. ALFREDS. 

